Erasure playing Cannock Chase forest gig

A sell-out gig at Cannock Chase is not the only thing on Erasure frontman Andy Bell's mind right now.

He's also currently appearing in the ITV show Postar to Operastar that sees famous voices from world of pop try and make the difficult transition into opera.

The stars are mentored by mezzo Katherine Jenkins and tenor Rolando Villazon, and the show is fronted by Myleene Klass.

So far, Andy has performed once and lived to tell the tale.

Naturally, he's hoping he has the right stuff to wow viewers at home but he admits to feeling a certain amount of trepidation after agreeing to make the show.

"To be honest I was a bit scared in the beginning because I thought it was going to be a bit like tabloidy television, but it's not been like that at all," he explains.

"They've been very respectful and just very professional, and it's really all about the singing. And obviously they want you to look good because they want themselves to look good. I've really enjoyed it so far."

Erasure, now celebrating 25 years in the business, took four years away from recording and live performances, so fans have been thrilled by the chance to see them live this summer.

Their tour kicked off on June 10, at Thetford Forest, Suffolk. And tonight, Andy and his old mate Vince Clarke will be belting out some old favourites in Cannock Chase, Staffordshire, as part of Forestry Commission Live Music.

"It should be a good vibe," said Andy. "It's going to be all the singles we've ever had really. Lots of more unusual ones that people haven't heard, and a few album tracks as well, and then maybe one new one."

Erasure's upcoming album, due for release in the autumn, is also very much a priority in his life.

"It's very interesting. Working with Frankmusik is a whole different thing," he explains.

"He's got a little studio in LA. He went out to see Vince and worked with him in Maine in the winter time.

"He's never been anywhere so cold in his life before, so he equates it to Misery the film. Some headline on some website said 'Frank: It's a Misery working with Erasure', kind of thing," he laughs. "But he's really cool."

Looking back on a quarter of a century in the music business, Andy thinks a lot of Erasure's early music still stands up well.

"I get quite surprised by the quality of the work, and also because me and Vince put so much into it," he explains. "Sometimes reviewers say: 'It's the same thing over and over again', and when I listen to it I think: 'No, it's not the same thing over and over again'. There's some lovely ballads and quite theatrical musical stuff in there. I think just because we use the same instruments and things, some people think it's the same but it's not.

"With unprejudiced ears I think you can hear amazing things."

* Erasure play at Cannock Chase tonight - Friday, June 24, 2011.